Bukedi District has taken center stage in a bold new push to fight poverty and ignite economic growth, as Vice President Jessica Alupo joined regional leaders to launch an ambitious agricultural campaign focused on coffee and cocoa production.
The initiative, known as the National Kibaalo Concepts Awareness Campaign, aims to distribute up to 80 million coffee and cocoa seedlings to farmers across the Bukedi sub-region. Through a coordinated multiplication effort, leaders hope to rapidly expand cultivation and position the region as a key player in Uganda’s agricultural economy.
Speaking on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni, Alupo emphasized that increasing production is not just about farming—it is about unlocking industrial growth. She noted that large-scale output of coffee and cocoa would attract factories and processing industries, creating jobs and boosting local incomes.
To ensure success, she called on the Ministry of Agriculture to provide continuous support to farmers, from planting through to harvest, with a focus on quality and productivity. With Bukedi’s soils already identified as highly suitable for coffee, the campaign presents a major opportunity to expand one of Uganda’s top export crops into new territory.
Alupo also placed the initiative in a broader historical perspective. She highlighted that African economies were once productive but largely informal, with colonial systems later introducing cash-based trade centered on a narrow range of export commodities such as coffee, cotton, and tea. Economic disruptions in the 1970s weakened these sectors, prompting the government to embark on a long-term recovery and diversification strategy.
Today, Uganda’s economy has grown significantly, supported by investments in infrastructure and expansion into new sectors like manufacturing, services, and ICT. However, Alupo stressed that the next phase of growth depends on adding value to raw materials rather than exporting them in their unprocessed form.
“Our future lies in processing what we produce,” she said, noting that such a shift could dramatically increase national earnings and drive the economy toward even greater heights. 
As part of the campaign rollout, leaders also launched the annual Bukedi Coffee Run, an initiative designed to raise funds and sustain seedling distribution over the next decade. Regional leaders described the effort as a turning point that could transform Bukedi into a vibrant, income-generating economy.
With coffee already contributing a significant share of Uganda’s export earnings, the renewed focus on farmer mobilisation and agro-industrial development could see Bukedi emerge as a major force in the country’s agricultural and economic landscape.
